Capture | Compute | Create

July 2014

07/30/2014

As-builts... Problematic as they are, we need them. But do we really need as-built models? Is there a better way to represent as-built conditions? Some firms are starting to put Reality Computing to work as an option.

In his presentation at SPAR International 2014, Magnus Rönnäng of Volvo Car Group described how using 3D CAD for the virtual modeling of their plants has been futile. “It has been much too time consuming to create the model, and by the time the model is ready, the plant itself has been altered many times,” explains Rönnäng. “The point cloud is our digital plant.” He advises us to scan what we have and model what is new. Good advice and a good fit for Reality Computing.

Today we start a new series of posts about how Reality Computing combined with geometric modeling is proving to be a better way to document as-built conditions. We'll explore the importance of as-builts, the drawbacks of using design solutions to create as-built models from scratch, and the use of heterogeneous data sets of captured reality data and modeled objects for new or critical existing elements to document as-built conditions. We’ll also profile two companies using Reality Computing for as-builts: Stiles Corporation and McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

Volvo Cars no longer tries to maintain as-built geometrical models of the manual assembly cells for their plants because the models are expensive to develop, immediately out of date, and lose the rich detail captured with the reality data. Instead, they scan existing assembly cells and the resulting point cloud is their digital plant. Image courtesy of Volvo Car Group

07/23/2014

In previous posts we’ve covered high level concepts of Reality Computing and its constituent components, we’ve explored its value, and we’ve looked at how it’s being used within different industries. Now it’s time to wrap up our introduction to Reality Computing.

Future scenarios for Reality Computing

Reality Computing represents a huge potential across multiple industries and as technology evolves, so will uses within and across industries. For example, consumers can already customize their Nike Flyknit shoes by choosing different color combinations for various parts of the shoes (upper, sole, laces, even the Nike swoosh). But in the near future, one can imagine a completely customized shoe that is contoured to an athlete’s foot. You visit your local Nike store, have your feet laser scanned, and get a custom-sized custom-made pair of shoes printed for you while you wait. Longer term, maybe consumers will have their own household 3D printer to fabricate items such as custom clothing, toys, even replacement parts for household appliances.

Within the construction industry, the production use of augmented reality is just on the horizon—where utility workers and excavators will have ground-penetrating scanner devices hooked into equipment monitors (or even Google Glasses) displaying georeferenced 3D models of the underground utilities superimposed over live images of the construction area.

The use of Reality Computing to support augmented reality will enable municipal and utility workers to visualize underground utilities superimposed over real images of a street. Image courtesy of VTN.

The use of Reality Computing to produce medical solutions customized to individual patients is already happening—from orthodontic braces to custom hearing aids to replicated body parts used for surgical planning. Currently, medical researchers are investigating ways to 3D print actual soft-tissue organs—a finger or a kidney for example—that will not be rejected by a patient’s body.

For industrial manufacturing, military personnel in combat zones or technicians in remote areas are already scanning equipment and machinery parts to digitally repair and fabricate a new part. In the near future, these groups could carry small portable 3D printers to produce the part on the spot and repair technicians using Google Glasses could view information related to the equipment (such as animated repair instructions) to quickly get the equipment back in service within days or even hours.

Reality Computing may even be destined for space one day. A professor at the University of Southern California has developed a layered fabrication technology for automating the construction of whole structures as well as sub-components. Single or multiple houses can be 3D printed, complete with conduits for utilities. ‘Contour Crafting’ was initially seen as a way to quickly construct emergency concrete housing or to build concrete structures in locations like Hawaii where concrete must be imported. But NASA is considering the technology to robotically print an airport on the moon or habitats on Mars.

“Most AEC firms laser scan existing conditions for use for design development on a renovation project. But we’re doing it during the course of construction—creating as-builts as we go, and using that as a component within our change-management process. This has allowed us to mitigate the impacts of changes, and has helped to keep us on schedule and within budget.”

Reality Computing—from capturingreality data and using software tools for computingreality data, to the physical or visual creation of digital information in the physical world—represents an information platform shift for the design, production, and management of physical things.

While the constituent technologies of Reality Computing have developed independently, they are increasingly being integrated into new workflows by organizations and teams across a range of industries to improve performance and better serve customers and clients.

This concludes our Introduction to Reality Computing blog series. Click here to download these posts, combined into a printable paper for easy viewing, printing, and distribution. And check back often for new posts about Reality Computing trends, technologies, and projects!

07/21/2014

For most people involved in laser scanning, seeing people in your scans is the last thing you want. However, a recent collaboration between ScanLAB and Vivienne Westwood has turned that notion on its head. They partnered to create an entire photoshoot (or should I say, 'lasershoot'?) captured not with traditional photography, but with 3D laser scanners. This has resulted is a look that is familiar to those used to working with point clouds, but highly unique in the world of fashion photography.

07/17/2014

Using Reality Computing, it is now possible to recreate and reshape a 3D model of your face! #3Dselfies#awesome

The process of capturing, creating, and delivering now applies to 3D facial replicas. Follow the 7 steps of the TechLife article below to see how you can create your own with just a camera, a 3D printer, and a handful of software programs. What’s more, because you’ll be using Reality Computing software, it is possible to modify the digital model, allowing you to touch up any blemishes you wouldn’t want to include in your 3D print. This is the perfect opportunity to express your creative side in a tech-savvy manner – and let’s face it, the possibilities are endless. #stylish #RealityComputing

Use Autodesk’s 123DCatch web app, as well as Meshmixer to create your own 3D Selfie in 7 easy steps. This TechLife article teaches you how!

07/14/2014

If you’ve been keeping up with our previous posts, you now know what Reality Computing is all about, including its constituent components and the value it can bring to companies and organizations. But how are forward-thinking organizations across industries actually using Reality Computing?

Industry ramifications of Reality Computing

The answer, of course, varies by industry and company—based on their existing tools, processes, and business relationships. Below are a few examples of how organizations are capturing physical information digitally using a variety of different technologies. How they are working directly with this captured reality data using digital tools that do not require them to turn the scanned data into modeled geometry. And how they are putting that data back to work in the physical world through 3D printing or other numerically controlled production or visualization technologies.

Automotive factory design and manufacturingVolvo Cars no longer tries to maintain as-built geometrical models of the manual assembly cells for their plants because the models are expensive to develop, immediately out of date, and lose the rich detail captured with the reality data. Instead, they scan existing assembly cells and the resulting point cloud is their digital plant. Rather than interrupting production to move physical mockups through an assembly line, Volvo Cars uses a combination of reality-captured and modeled data (of new assembly components and car bodies) to simulate and verify production processes for new models.

07/10/2014

Over the month of March, 2001, the world mourned the destruction of two ancient, beautiful, colossal Buddha statues in the Bamiyan region of Afghanistan.

All were at a loss – except for Tatjana Dzambazova and her team. Using photogrammetry and 3D digital modeling software, Tatjana’s team was able to recreate 3D virtual models of the statues, thereby preserving a valuable piece of human history that would have otherwise been forever lost.

Reality Computing technology is bringing the history of past generations back to life! Tatjana’s work with the Bamiyan Buddha statues is only one of the many examples of how Reality Computing technology, such as photogrammetry, is being used to preserve and promote historical and ecological objects that would otherwise be inaccessible to the majority of the population. Whether you are a technologist, historian, educator, or none of the above, this TED Talk will have you amazed at what is now possible with Reality Computing, and how it is literally changing the future of our past.

View the TEDxSonomaCounty presentation at the official TEDx website, or here:

07/09/2014

A team from Autodesk spent a week in June using Reality Computing to scan the interior and exterior of the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) Cadet Chapel, gathering site data to create a virtual model of the facility.

Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Cadet Chapel is an all-faiths house of worship designed to meet the spiritual needs of cadets. The distinctive structure was completed in 1963 and features 17 spires resembling upended fighter jets. Its principal designer and architect was Walter Netsch of SOM. The USAFA reports that more than a half million people visit the chapel every year and it is the most popular man-made tourist attraction in the state.

The main goal of this effort is to help USAFA inspect the chapel for structural damage. In addition, USAFA can use the captured reality data (and derivative building model) for a variety of tasks such as online virtual tours of the chapel, project visualizations for future renovations or special event planning, and energy cost analyses.

Autodesk used ground-based and aerial laser scanners and digital photography to collect data without disrupting activities at the site. Over the course of the week, the team captured 129 scans of the chapel’s interior and exterior with a FARO Focus3D X 330 laser scanner, as well as 1232 photographs of the chapel’s exterior using a DJI Phantom 2 unmanned aerial vehicle and a GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition camera (click here to see the aerial footage).

With on-site data collection complete, Autodesk will process the data to create a variety of photorealistic, georeferenced 3D models of the chapel and example analyses for USAFA. Click here for a USAFA newsletter article about the project.

07/03/2014

Step aside, fireworks - a new way to celebrate the Fourth of July is here!

Introducing the newest, most ridiculous piece of Reality Computing yet: the Confectionery Cannon. This innovative piece of technology utilizes a reality capture technique known as computer vision, and a simple, yet effective mechanical design to launch delicious marshmallows at unsuspecting (or very suspecting) targets. Hats off to the four Olin College students who engineered it!

Reality Computing at its finest.

Reality Computing is continuing to create value, be it in AEC, the medical field, the enteritainment industry, or in this case, fun consumer products. Learn how businesses and organizations can benefit from Reality Computing in our Intro to Reality Computing - Part 5.

07/02/2014

In the last several posts, we examined how Reality Computing turns things into data (capture), data into things (create), and what goes on in between (compute). Now let’s look at how businesses and organizations can benefit from Reality Computing.

The Value of Reality Computing

KnowledgeReality Computing allows analyses and simulations to be performed digitally rather than on the actual object or system. Industrial designers use 3D-printed components to test a product’s form, usability, and ergonomics. Engineers use models derived from scanned buildings to perform energy analyses and determine a facility’s carbon footprint. Civil engineers create cinematic-quality project animations to support project approval and public outreach efforts for large (sometimes contentious) infrastructure projects.